Honeycomb structure



Dec. 4," 1951 E. E. FRANZ 2,577,120

' HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE Filed April 6, 1946 I INVENTO/P 5E. FRANZ arm/PMPatented Dec. 4, 1951 HONEYCOIVLB STRUCTURE Erwin E. Franz, Cranford, N.J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application April 6, 1946, Serial No. 660,275

This invention relates to honeycomb structures and more particularly toself rigid honeycomb structures composed of mutually interlocking,mutually supporting units assembled together to be rigid as a whole inboth torsion and shear.

There are many kinds of multicellular racks, containers, article arraysupports, heat exchange assemblies, and other analogous structures whichare in essence honeycomb-like arrangements of laterally opposedcell-like chambers or recesses or laterally opposed, parallel, tube-likepassageways. As illustrative of two widely differing yet principallysimilar structures of the kind here under consideration, there may beinstanced such a heat exchanging apparatus as the honeycomblike mainelement of an automobile radiator, and the honeycomb-like rack employedin connection with some multi-conductor telephone cables to hold a largearray of externally similar electrical devices.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, reliable,inexpensive honeycomb structure assembled from substantially identicallysimilar unit members, and self rigid and self supporting as a whole,particularly against both torsion and shear.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may beillustratively embodied in a unitary element to be interlocked withsimilar elements in a self rigid honeycomb-like assembly, the saidelement being a tube having on the outer surface thereof a plurality oflongitudinal dovetail members so proportioned and disposed that suchelement may be interlocked by interfitted complementary dovetails witheach of two or more similar elements to form a honeycomb assembly.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of one embodiment thereof, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which the same referencenumerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures, and inwhich Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a part of a honeycombstructure constructed in accordance with invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged detail view of a portion of the showing ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of part of a differently arrangedhoneycomb assembly; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of part of a heat exchanging honeycomb.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-71)Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is a honeycomb rack particularly adapted to receiveand retain individually in precisely fixed position relatively to eachother, a large array of externally identically similar, cylindricalmetal cans 10, each containing an electrical device having terminals II,the particular nature of the device being irrelevant here except in sofar as it is provided also on its side with an integral positioning bossI 2 whose purpose will appear hereinafter.

The honeycomb assembly itself is made up of as many units 20 as thereare cans I0 to be housed, but only four such units 20 are shown in Fig.1 as this number is suiiicient to illustrate the principles of structureinvolved. Also, only one can In is shown to avoid unnecessary andconfusing complexity in the drawings.

A single unit 20 is a tubular, generally cylindrical element,.preferablythough not necessarily open at both ends but necessarily open at oneend. The exterior surface is formed with four pairs of longitudinalribs. Consider, for example, the unit 20 at the lower left of the fourunits '20 shown in Fig. 1. Two external ribs 2| are formed to presenttogether a male dovetail running longitudinally along the top of theunit. Two other external ribs 22, diametrically opposite the ribs 2! areformed to present a female dovetail to match the male dovetail 2|. Atthe ends of the diameter half way between these is a like pair ofidentically similar dovetails IN and I22.

Units 20 thus constructed can be interfitted together in a rectangularrank and file array, each with a dovetailed interlock with everyimmediately neighboring unit. Because of the nature of this dovetailedinterlocking, no relative motion of any two units is possible. There canbe no shear-like shift of any rank or file of units along a neighboringrank or file; nor can the assembly become skewed from its overallplaneness by any twisting slip of units on each other. The assembly soformed is completely self rigid within the strength of its material.

As shown in Fig. 4, similar units 220, havin each three dovetail pairs2| and 22 on diameters 120 apart, can be put together in a similarassembly of units in triangular instead of rectangular of four units 320is much greater in cross sectional area and the inner chamber of eachunit much less in Fig. 5 than in Fig. 1. By suitably proportioning thefiutes 324 the ratio of total cross section of unit interiors to totalcross section of inter unit spaces may be given almost any desiredvalue. Thus, a structure as shown in Fig. 5 might be used as anefiicient and remarkably light weight and. rigid, self sustaining heatexchanger; e. g., a heating system radiator, an automobile radiator, acooling unit for the heat transfer fluid of a refrigerating apparatus,or the like generally.

While a structure as described is self rigid and needs no extraneousbracing or supporting means, 11-, may also be attached, detachably asshown in Fig. 1, or permanently in similar fashion, if desired, to anyrigid support, especially when being assembled on a frame or the likewith other apparatus units of like or different nature. As indicated inFig. 1, the inter unit spaces 25 provide convenient opportunity for thepassage of supportin or clamping means 26 by which to attach theassembly to any desired support such, for example, as the panel 21 inFigs. 1 and 2.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the units may also be provided withinternal longitudinal grooves 28 formed to have a sliding fit with thepositioning boss l2 of a can 10. With a plurality of such grooves ineach unit 20 in predetermined spacing and position relatively to theexterior dovetails and to each other, a can may be inserted into andsecurely held in a unit 20 in any desired predetermined orientationtherein and relatively to neighboring cans. Considering such a featurein connection with the above discussed peculiarity of the arrangement ofFig. 5, it, will be evident that such tubes or units can be variouslymodified for specific purposes without affecting the rigidly selfsupporting interlock of the dovetails as described.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A honeycomb assembly of at .least three mutually parallel tubularelements grouped together so as to be capable of encompassment by thesmallest possible imaginary cylinder, said assembly being adapted tohold in accurate predetermined relation to each other a pluralityofarticles generally formed externally to fit individually withinindividual tubular elements of the assemby and each formed externallywith a protruding boss, each tubular element having on the outer surfacethereof a, plurality of more than three longitudinal dovetail members,and r having on its inner surface a longitudinal groove adapted toclosely, slidingly receive the protruding boss of an article placed inthe element, said dovetail members being so proportioned and disposedthat each tubular element may be interlocked by interfittedcomplementary dovetails with each adjacent element of the group at theirmutual points of contact.

2. A unitary element to be interlocked with similar elements in aself-rigid honeycomb-like assembly, the said element being a tube havingon the outer surface thereof a plurality of more than three longitudinaldovetail members, half of the members each comprisin a first pair oflongitudinal tongues projecting from the element surface angularly awayfrom each other and the other half of the members each comprising asecond pair of longitudinal tongues projecting from the portion of theelement surface diametrically opposite the location of a first pair,said second pair projecting angularly toward each other and being shapedto receive between them in close fittin relation a first pair of tonguesfrom another element.

3. A honeycomb assembly of at least three mutually parallel tubularelements grouped together so as to be capable of encompassment by thesmallest possible imaginary cylinder, said assembly being adapted tohold in accurate predetermined relation to each other a plurality ofarticles generally formed externally to fit individually withinindividual tubular elements of the assembly and each formed externallywith a protruding boss, each tubular element having on its inner surfacea longitudinal groove adapted to closely, slidingly receive theprotruding boss of an article placed in the element and having on theouter surface thereof a plurality of more than three longitudinaldovetail members, half of the members each comprising a first pair oflongitudinal tongues projecting from the element surface angularly awayfrom each other and the other half of the members each comprising a,second pair of longitudinal tongues projecting from the portion of theelement surface diametrically opposite the location of a first pair,said second pair projecting angularly toward each other and being shapedto receive between them in close fitting relation a first pair oftongues from another element.

ERWIN E. FRANZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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